with Anna Beth? It didn’t solve anything, and she seemed to thrive on it.
“Give me the phone, Lynne,” Simon said. She shook her head.
“It was exactly like that,” Anna Beth said. “He called you a pity fuck.”
“No, I don’t believe you.” Lynne looked at the floor, unable to look at Simon any longer. What if Anna Beth was right? Lynne’s chest grew tight.
“It doesn’t matter if you believe me. Truth is truth. Once he’s tired of you, he’ll come back to me. Especially if you let him fuck your ass. He’s all about the virgin ass. Which is why I haven’t let him have mine yet. But I might when I take him back. Just the thought of that massive dick pushing its way inside me. I’ll be sure to scream. He likes that, you know. Kinky fucker.”
Lynne didn’t know how to reply to any of that information. Did Anna Beth know that Lynne had never had anal sex before, or was it only a guess on her part? Either way, there was no way she could know they’d had anal sex last night, was there? And she had to be lying about the pity fuck thing, didn’t she?
It wasn’t until Simon took the phone from her hand that she realized she’d been staring at it, doing and saying nothing.
He held the phone up to his mouth. “Who is this?” He shook his head. “They hung up. Who was it?”
“Anna Beth.”
He cursed under his breath and turned the phone off. “This is why you should have left your phone upstairs. What did she say?”
She took a deep breath and forced herself to look at him. “That you told her I was a pity fuck and she was sure you wouldn’t want me after you had my ass.”
He swore again, and the tips of his ears grew red. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him so angry. “Did anything I did to you yesterday feel like a pity fuck in any way, shape, or form?”
“No, Sir.” But having never experienced a pity fuck, that she knew of, how would she know what one felt like?
“And did I give any impression that I didn’t want you after last night?”
“No, Sir.”
“Then isn’t it safe to say Anna Beth is lying through her teeth?”
She shrugged. “I guess so.”
He ran his fingers through his hair with an exasperated sigh. “Are you really going to believe her over me?”
“I don’t want to. It’s just, she’s . . .” She crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling very exposed.
“Playing into every doubt you’ve ever had,” he finished for her.
“Yes, Sir,” she whispered.
“I don’t know how to convince you that there is nothing about you that I don’t like.” He took a step closer to her. “I regret ever playing with that woman. If I’d never given her the time of day, she wouldn’t be trying to tear you down right now. I hate that she’s making you feel like you’re less than you are.”
She sniffled. “It’s—”
He pressed a finger to her lips. “Shh, don’t say it’s okay, because it’s not. No one ever has the right to bully you into feeling bad. And that’s what she is: a bully.”
“Why did you play with her?”
“The first time, we didn’t do much, and the second was right after I learned you were back in the area. I knew I couldn’t have you, not the way I wanted. I went to the club and she was there. Stupid on my part. I could tell almost immediately that she wouldn’t be right for me.”
A small spark of hope began to bubble in her chest. “How did you want me?”
“I wanted you the way I took you last night. Raw. Urgent. Hard. Rough.” He sighed. “And then I want you soft and tender and open.”
She blinked back tears. Damn, but she turned into a crying fool all the time around him. “I find that a little hard to swallow, considering how quickly you broke things off with me last time. Part of me is afraid to let you into my heart because I’m scared you’ll break it again and I don’t know if I can handle that a second time. Then part of me thinks it doesn’t really matter, because I’m already in too deep with you.”
“Lynne . . .” He shook his head.
“Tell me you aren’t going to hurt me again,” she begged. “Promise me.”
“I’d be interested in hearing this myself, seeing as how I’ve already had this conversation with you once before,” a familiar voice said from the door.
They both turned, and Lynne gasped at the sight of Nathaniel standing in the doorway, arms crossed and looking like the devil himself. Now she really felt exposed, and she searched frantically for something to cover up with. Shit. She did not want to be standing in her underwear in front of her employer. Though in all honesty, he wasn’t looking at her; he was focused on Simon.
“Nathaniel,” Simon said. His voice gave no indication of what he was thinking. In fact, she’d never heard him sound so . . . flat.
The two men stood there, silently assessing each other. She wouldn’t have been surprised if they started circling each other, showing their teeth, and snarling.
Nathaniel finally broke the silence. “For God’s sake, man, cover her up. I’m her employer.”
Her face heated once more, and she glanced around the room. Surely there had to be a blanket or something. But she couldn’t find one, and Simon appeared in no hurry to obey Nathaniel. Maybe there were blankets in the back of the room. She turned to go look, but Simon held out a hand to stop her.
“Settle, Lynne.”
When he said that, she was to kneel at his feet. She chewed on her bottom lip. Now? In front of Nathaniel? Nathaniel who still didn’t glance her way, but continued to look at Simon as if trying to decide which body part he wanted to relieve Simon of first.
She was caught between two men: her Dom for the weekend and her employer. She wanted to obey them both, and it upset her to know she couldn’t. In obeying one, she’d be defying the other. Her mind couldn’t decide what to do, but her body reacted instinctively, and she dropped to her knees at Simon’s side.
“You’ve been to this location before,” Simon told Nathaniel while he placed a hand on top of her head. The tension left her body. “You must have had some idea of the stage of dress you’d see her in. If it makes you uncomfortable, you can leave. Might be for the best anyway, since you’re upsetting her and you weren’t invited.”
Lynne kept her eyes downcast; she did not want to see the look on Nathaniel’s face at Simon’s refusal.
“Having some idea,” Nathaniel said, “is quite a bit different from seeing it flaunted before me. And sorry, but no, I’m not leaving until we talk.”
She thought the flaunting remark was low and unnecessary. It wasn’t like she got dressed, thinking, How can I piss my boss off today?
Simon checked his watch. “One of these days, Lynne, I’ll have the opportunity to take a single tail to you and we won’t be interrupted. Unfortunately, it looks like today is not that day. I don’t think either one of us is in the proper mind-set at the moment to do the demo.”
She begrudgingly agreed he was right.
“I’m going to let everyone know the demo is off.” Simon held out a hand to her. “Lynne, you can get dressed and wait in the room. And, Nathaniel, I’ll meet you outside in the courtyard in ten minutes.”
Surprisingly enough, Nathaniel didn’t argue, but gave a curt nod and left. Simon pulled her into his arms. “Go back to the room and don’t worry. I can handle him.” He pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Promise you’ll wait there for me?”
She nodded and he gave her a kiss.
“Never forget, you’re my good girl,” he whispered before pulling away.
She watched him leave before putting her clothes on and making her way back to the room.
• • •
Simon found Nathaniel sitting at a table in a shaded corner of the courtyard after he informed the group director that the demo was off. The other man didn’t move as he sat down beside him.
“I won’t ask how you found out,” Simon started. “And while I didn’t know the sub
missive I was talking with online was Lynne until yesterday, I did run into her a few weeks ago and I’ve seen her a few times since then. I was wrong to keep that from you.”
Nathaniel’s face was once more void of any emotion. It was freaky as hell how he could do that. Especially since he was so expressive with his wife and kids. “It’s not so much that I mind you’re with Lynne. What bothers me is I specifically told you she was under my protection. All you had to do was call and tell me you wanted to see her. I would have given you my blessing.”
“Your blessing?” Had he heard correctly? “You aren’t her father. You aren’t even related. She’s your employee. You pay her to work for you. Outside of that, she’s a grown woman who can do whatever the hell she wants.”
“Yes, she is my employee. She’s also a young single woman who lives in my house. Add in the fact that she’s a submissive and I’m a Dom, you damn well know I’m going to do anything in my power to protect her from . . .”
“Protect her from Doms like me?” Simon finished for him. “That’s what you mean, isn’t it? If I were a Dom like Luke or Daniel, you wouldn’t have an issue with me. Hell, I could be into the twenty-four/seven thing like Cole and you wouldn’t mind. But I’m not like them, am I? I’m a sadist, and that’s not good enough for her.”
Nathaniel leaned back in his chair. “I think you just put an awful lot of words in my mouth that I never said. And you’re wrong. I wouldn’t want her with Cole either.”
“I don’t hear you denying that you don’t want her with me.”
Nathaniel sighed, obviously torn. He scrubbed his face. “Would a sadist be my choice for Lynne? No. I won’t lie about that.”
“She may have lived under your roof for almost a year, but you have no clue what her needs are. Lynne’s a masochist.”
He’d rarely seen Nathaniel surprised, but hearing his nanny, the woman he viewed as a little sister, was a masochist? That did it. His look of utter and complete shock didn’t last long.
“Well, if that’s what she needs? Who am I to argue?” Nathaniel asked, seeming to have rebounded quickly. “Just because something isn’t for me doesn’t mean it’s wrong. I do wish you would have told me when you started seeing her.”
“I know and I apologize for that. As soon as I talked to her, I should have told you. If the situation were reversed, I’d be mad at me, too.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m mad. Disappointed? Yes. But maybe more than anything, surprised as hell about Lynne. And not just the masochist part. Abby told me all about how Lynne kept her true identity from you.” Nathaniel laughed. “Did she really convince you her name was Faye and you didn’t know it was her?”
Simon could have groaned. He would never live this down. It made him want to spank her again. Or maybe fuck her ass. “How was I to know it was her middle name? I thought she was scared about being recognized in public. I didn’t know it was just me she wanted to hide from.”
They both had a chuckle over the situation even though Simon wasn’t at the point that he thought it was funny yet. But in the midst of laughing, he grew serious at one thought.
“How did you find out?” he asked. “Did Abby tell you?”
Nathaniel frowned. “No. Abby’s loyal to a fault, but she also can’t lie. She only told me when I asked her directly.” He watched Simon carefully as he added, “I actually got an e-mail from an Anna Beth.”
Simon fisted his hands. “When?”
“Last night, and I’m glad you brought it up because I want to discuss her with you as well.”
“She’s a mistake. I played with her twice, and that’s two times too many.”
“She’s also a criminal.”
“What?” Whatever he’d been expecting Nathaniel to say, it hadn’t been that.
“Alleged, anyway. After I got her e-mail, I called Luke, since she mentioned his club. Come to find out he’s had Jeff Parks and his security team look into her. It appears as if she’s been siphoning money from the law firm she works at.”
“Really?” Simon wasn’t sure why that surprised him.
“Yes. We’ve alerted the authorities, of course. They’re following up on their end, but I expect her to be charged and brought in at some point today.”
“Hopefully they’ll lock her up and throw away the key. She called Lynne right before you got here and upset her horribly. I need to go check on her and make sure she’s okay.” He stood up and pushed back from the table.
Nathaniel did the same. “Do you think I should—”
He didn’t hear what Nathaniel said next because the elevator doors opened and Lynne walked out, carrying a suitcase.
“Lynne?” Simon asked.
Her head jerked up and her red-rimmed eyes told him she’d been crying again. Dammit. Had Anna Beth called her back? He walked to her, wanting nothing more than to take her in his arms and fix whatever had made her upset.
“Don’t,” she said. “Don’t come near me.”
Her words were like a punch in the gut. “Lynne?”
“I’m done. Do you hear me? Done. I’m not doing this anymore. She wins.” Her whole body shook and he got the impression she hadn’t been crying because she was sad or upset, but rather that she was angry.
“Where are you going?” he asked. “You’re in no shape to be driving.”
“I don’t need you to tell me what I can and can’t do.”
Nathaniel took a step closer to her, but she held out her hand to stop him. “You, too. I can’t believe you showed up here. Like I’m a child. Screw you, Nathaniel. I quit.”
Though Simon wanted nothing more than to sit her down and try to figure out what the hell was going on, he realized she needed space at the moment. That didn’t, however, mean he was letting her get behind the wheel of a car. Simon was getting ready to forcibly take her keys, when one of the staff members stepped into the courtyard.
“Your cab is here,” he said, looking at Lynne.
“Thank you,” Lynne told him. She turned and glared at Simon. “See? I’m not an idiot. I can take care of myself.”
“I never called you an idiot. Let’s sit down and discuss what’s upset you so much.” He felt like he was trying to reason with a wild animal. He was afraid the outcome wouldn’t be much different.
“Sorry,” she said, though it was clear she wasn’t sorry at all. “My cab’s here.”
“Did Anna Beth call you back?” Simon asked, but she kept walking. Though she did flip him the bird.
But why would she answer her phone? Especially Anna Beth’s number? He didn’t think she’d pick up an unknown number, either.
“What the hell was that?” Nathaniel asked as they watched her backside retreat. “I’ve never known her to act like that.”
“Something happened.” Now Simon needed to figure out just what it was. “I’m going up to the room to see if anything there can shed light on what just happened.”
“Mind if I come?”
“No. Let’s go.”
They took the stairs, walking in silence. Simon was glad Nathaniel didn’t try to carry on a conversation; he needed to think. What could have possibly happened from the time he’d left her in the demo room to when she stormed outside? He hoped there was something in the room that offered some kind of clue.
He saw it as soon as he opened the door. On the large-screen television in the living area was a paused image of him and Anna Beth. She was on her knees, sucking him off, and he had her hair fisted in his hand. It appeared to be from the second time they played together. He cursed and crossed the floor, stepping on an opened envelope. It carried his return address and was addressed to Lynne.
Nathaniel picked it up. “If this was Anna Beth, it’s a bit low-tech for someone with her skills.”
Simon took the remote from the coffee table and turned the television off so he wouldn’t have to see that image anymore, though it was already too late; it was burned inside his memory forever. He could only imagine how Lynne had felt seeing it.
He’d known Luke had security cameras in his club, so he wasn’t surprised the video existed. What made him angry was that it’d been hacked.
“Low-tech or not,” he replied, “the damage is done. Anna Beth got what she wanted.”
Nathaniel gave him a pointed look. “What about what you want?”
Chapter Eleven
Two weeks later
Lynne splashed water on her face and told herself to stop